Are You A Loli?
by Foamsatmouth
Summary: AU. Aw hell, did I just say that? Crap, I did. I hope this weird girl doesn't get mad at me. Rated for language and eventual lemon.
1. Chapter 1

I slapped a hand over my mouth, inwardly cursing my inability to keep my mouth shut. The girl whom I had asked such an absurd question looked at me confusedly.

"Am I a _what_?" She asked in a small voice.

Hell, _small_ was the only way to describe her. She _might_ have been five foot tall, but I doubted it. She _might_ have weighed a hundred pounds, but I doubted it. She _might_ have been eighteen…I was really hoping so. Otherwise, I might get slapped with a sexual harassment charge (or worse!) simply because I'm an idiot.

I shift from one foot to the other and stammer. "N-nothing, don't worry about it. So…um…you know Richard?"

"Yes, I've known him since we were little. We went to elementary, middle, and high school together."

"Cool." I gave her a little grin before a realization struck me. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Garfield Logan, I know."

My mouth runs dry in an instant. She knows my name! Wait, how would she know my name? I've never met her. Huh, I wonder if Kori told her, trying to set us up? Pft, like that would ever happen, no pretty girl like her would be interested in me. Wait…interested in me?

"You're that chick that's stalking me!" I exclaim.

She visibly winced. "Stalking isn't the term I'd use…"

 _Not the term I'd use_ , my ass! She's been stalking me for two months now! Me! What kind of psycho chick stalks a nerd like me? I mean, I know I'm a decent looking guy with dirty blond hair and green eyes, a little tall and a bit lanky, but I'm not stalk-worthy. I mean, I've only noticed her a couple of times a week for the past couple of months, but now that I get a good look at her, I _know_ she's been the one following me.

I can't lie. I'm kinda scared. Yeah, she's cute as hell, with her shoulder length black hair and purple contacts, her teenish face with pale skin, little long sleeved blue blouse and black jeans. She's got a nice round bottom, a bit of love handles, and some nice boobs. Damn, she's kinda hot. Is she single? I wonder if she has to shop for clothes in the kids section? Er, wait, I need to focus. Stalker here. Yeah, okay, back to being scared.

I take a step back from her, my hands held up defensively. "Why are you stalking me?!"

Her face goes from confused to hurt. "You mean…you don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"We…we met at Kori and Richards wedding two months ago…" She trailed off, her shoulders slumping. There was quite clearly some pain in her eyes and it made me rather upset rather quickly. A cute girl like her shouldn't be sad. I'm the one who made her sad. Damnit, I'm an asshole. How can I fix this?

I took a step forward and held out my hand. "Look, I'm really sorry, but if it was during the after party, I don't remember. Last thing I can recall is taking a few shots and then waking up in my bed at the hotel."

Now she looked like she was going to cry as she looked at my hand. "You don't remember _anything?_ "

I gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry…I'm _really_ bad with alcohol."

She was trembling now and I had no idea what the hell I did. She turned and called out. "Kori! He doesn't remember _anything_!"

My friend Kori is from another country (that I can barely pronounce) but grew up here in America with me and my best buddy, Victor Stone.

The tall, tan skinned and red haired foreign girl approached us, a worried look on her face. "Friend Rachel, I am most sorry! It always does the slipping of my mind that Garfield is very bad with alcoholic beverages."

I still remember the day that I met Kori. She was being picked on in class because she talked funny even though it stems from a speech impediment derived from blunt force trauma to the head from her abusive older sister. I stood up for Kori and got beat up for it. Victor, who was passing by, stepped in and opened a serious can of butt-whoop on the guys beating me up. The three of us became the closest of friends after that.

If I said we went through thick and thin together, it'd be an understatement. Kori helped me when the first girl I fell in love with cheated on me with an older man. Victor was there when I was finally able to stand up to my guardian, my abusive uncle Galtry, and turn him into the police for all the years of torment he put me through. I returned the gestures as soon as I could. I helped Kori deal with her sister by "accidentally" letting it slip to their adopted father Galfore that Koma was more than a little cruel. For Vic, I helped him find the car he built from scratch after it was stolen and then later helped him get over this punk rocker chick named Jen that he had fallen for and gotten his heart broken by. We all went through the wringer for each other more than once. We were, in essence, family.

And here I am, twenty two years old and still being defended by my funny talking sister-friend Kori Anders. Ain't life funny?

I was jostled from my thoughts by the girl named Rachel once more.

"Richard, did you know?!"

Richard Grayson, same height as me but waaay musclier (that's a word, right?) with dark hair and ice blue eyes, was a guy me and Vic met while in college. We pegged him for a snobby rich boy right off the bat, but he was actually a pretty cool dude. He was a bit more serious than either of us liked, but he had a fun and mischievous side too. I can't even begin to tell you about all the crazy shit we got into. When Kori met him (she didn't have classes with us for a good while), it was love at first sight for the two of them. They were inseparable. Like, seriously, at the hip.

 _If you know what I mean._

Richard cringed. "Um…yeah. I'm sorry, I forgot he drank."

Rachel started breathing heavily as she spoke rapidly. "How am I supposed to deal with this?! I can barely handle it on my half! I'm not used to this kind of thing! I can't…"

Oh hell.

Is she having a panic attack?

What the _fuck_ did I do to upset this girl?!

Fortunately, Richard whipped out a paper bag from his pocket (that dude seriously has _everything_ , including the kitchen sink, in those pockets) and handed it to the violet-eyed girl before me. She immediately wobbled away and sank into a chair, breathing into the bag rapidly. Behind me, Victor, the tall and built-like-a-living-tank bald black man, growled.

"Gar, what the hell did you do to that girl?!"

I threw up my hands defensively once more. "Dude! You know I can't take more than two shots before I black out! I have no freaking idea what I did to make her mad!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rachel shake her head. Turning, I found her staring at the floor as she used the bag. It took a few minutes, but she eventually calmed down.

"You didn't do anything wrong at all, Garfield." She said very quietly. Something about the way she said my name sent a pleasurable shiver down my spine. She looked up at me with unreadable eyes. "You were actually far kinder than anyone has been to me in a long time."

I shook my head. "Being nice doesn't make people have panic attacks. I'm sor-"

"Stop apologizing." She chided me before sighing. She looked away and placed a hand over her face. Something told me that she was on the edge of tears. Did I really do something that wrong?

"The truth is, Garfield, is that I got drunk with you that night. You were ridiculously flirty and sweet and I enjoyed myself immensely all because of you. I was honestly miserable before you stumbled up to my table asking me to dance. You flirted with _me,_ of all people, the entire time we danced. After the party, you were having an issue getting a cab back to your room…so I got one and went with you to the hotel to make sure you made it. You were pretty drunk and falling all over the place, but it was more funny than off-putting. You kept making these little cartoon-like noises and quoting old cartoon characters the whole time and I just couldn't stop myself from laughing. You're such a ridiculous goof ball, you know that?"

She was quiet for a moment, in which I was trying very hard to hide my blush. It didn't work. Okay, maybe I didn't _do_ something wrong (other than making myself look like an idiot, which I'm _really_ good at). Maybe I _said_ something wrong? What could I have said? Just as she started speaking again, I happened to notice Richard staring at her like she'd grown a second head. I wonder why?

"I was going to catch another cab and go back to my own hotel, but I couldn't find my purse anywhere. I never did find it, actually. You quite brazenly invited me back to your room. I almost slapped you for that, but you stopped me by saying that your room had two beds. I double checked with the desk clerk and found you were telling the truth…so I went with you to your room."

Now Richard was staring at _me,_ but like he was going to _kill me_. I threw my hands up defensively once more and rapidly shook my head. Rachel, heedless of us, kept talking.

"When we got there you grabbed some clothes and hopped in the shower. Afterwards, you came out and suggested that I shower. Seeing as I had no clothes, you offered a shirt and a pair of shorts." She placed her other hand over her face. "The alcohol was clearly affecting me, because I accepted. I showered and put on your clothes. Afterwards I got into the spare bed, but…I couldn't sleep. It felt like my body was on fire, I honestly thought I was sick with alcohol poisoning. You were passed out, but I tried to wake you to see if you had any medicine with you."

Rachel hesitated before speaking very, very softly. "I don't know what came over me after I woke you. You were just so…and I…um…well…"

I stared at this girl before me. There was _no way_ she was saying what I think she was saying. I couldn't stop myself from snorting. "Yeah, okay, I get it now."

Everyone's head snapped towards me in confusion. Too bad I knew what was going on.

I turned to Victor. "Really funny dude. I can't believe you'd go this far to prank me."

Victor's face screwed up in even more confusion. "Prank you?"

"Yeah!" I snapped in irritation. "You obviously set this all up to embarrass me on camera. So where is it? I ain't letting you put this one on YouTube."

Richard stepped forward. "Garfield, this isn't-"

"Of course it is!" I spat at him, growing angrier. "There's no way in _hell_ that such a pretty girl like Rachel would ever take an interest in _me_ , let alone sleep with me! I'm like, the second biggest nerd on the west coast after Eugene Confre! How do you expect me to believe you?"

I barely heard Rachel's voice when she stuttered. "P-pretty? Me?"

I turned and found her blushing quite furiously. Now I was the one confused, so I rose an eyebrow at her. "What? Nobody's called you pretty before?"

She looked away and shook her head slightly.

Okay, _nothing_ here was making sense. This girl says she slept with me and they guys swear it's not a prank. I call bullshit. She's _really_ pretty and I'm like, average Joe. Let's not forget that I'm _terrible_ with girls. I stutter when I get nervous, I tell bad jokes to break tension, I drink too much Mountain Dew, I'm clumsy when I'm nervous too, and I tend to let my mouth run without keeping it in check. I'm also a nerdy guy and nerdy guys just don't get girls. It's a harsh fact of life, but I already accepted it. I mean really, when I try to get to know girls they always brush me off or downright tell me I'm not their type. They don't even try to get to know me.

Technically that means I should find a nerdy girl, right?

Pft, like _that_ will ever happen. Nerdy girls are rarer to find than the original bible.

Translation: Fucking _impossible_. Trust me, I've _tried_. I don't even want to think how depressing it is to be turned down everywhere I go.

I'm getting a little off topic here. I cross my arms and look at the distressed girl before me. "Okay, let's say I believe you. I slept with you, even though I don't remember it, and then you decided to stalk me? That's…"

She flinched. "I know…but I was trying to find a way to talk to you after what happened."

I looked at her skeptically. "Why didn't you just come talk to me? I don't bite."

"Yes you do." She said with a half-hearted smirk.

Aw hell, there goes my composure. I feel the blush rising up on my face as I struggle to reply. "L…look, don't dodge the question."

She sighs. "I'm…really bad with people. Especially guys."

Okay, _that_ I can understand. But I'm still a little skeptical. "You can't be that bad with people if you enjoyed my company. I'm a huge nerd."

Even though she was still staring at the floor, a little smile graced her face. "That was a combination of liquid courage and the fact that you made me feel really good about myself. Guys….they just don't talk to me. And when they do, their niceness doesn't last very long."

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why is that?"

Although she removed her hands from her face, one remained to pinch the bridge of her nose. "There are a lot of answers to that question, none of which I'm a happy about."

I glance at Richard, who mouths _Later_. Looking a back at Rachel, I watch her for a moment. Just as I open my mouth to speak, she spoke very softly.

"And I don't think there's anything wrong with nerdy guys."

I nearly bit off my tongue.

"Friend Rachel…perhaps it is time you told him…" Kori sat down next to Rachel and put her hand on the smaller girls' shoulder.

If the conversation didn't have my attention, _that_ certainly would have gotten it. Out of the corner of my eye I can see curious looks on Victor and Richard that reflected my own. Apparently they have no idea what's going on either. That…does not bode well. I looked sharply at my foreign friend. "Tell me what?"

Rachel hesitated, so I kept talking. "Rachel, whatever I did, I _will_ own up. I know how to nut up or shut up when it comes to stuff."

Her hand moved to cover her mouth, though I could still see her upturned lips. She let out a choked laugh.

"Funny that you should say that….because _nutting up_ is precisely how we got into this predicament."

I could only stare at her. "Huh?"

Her blush returned tenfold and she sputtered. "W-well…while you could _get it up_ , you couldn't _get up_ …so…I…kind of…took initiative…"

Oh.

OH.

OOOHHHHH.

She was on top the whole time.

"D-did…did I hurt you?" I stammered. Damn, this is embarrassing. The only thing I've legitimately prided myself on was being more than a bit above average in size when it came to my manhood. Not that anyone but me knew that, since I'd only had one girlfriend who was more interested in older men than her own damned boyfriend.

Er…wait…I guess Rachel knows.

She shook her head. "It always hurts the first time…but other than that…no. It was very…intense, but in a good way."

I was about to say _Oh, well that's good_ when something she had said clicked in my mind. I stared at her. "Predicament?"

She visibly tensed up and a knot of dread formed in my stomach. Predicament? Usually using that kind of word means…there's no way…I surely would have had…

I found myself reaching back into my memories to the morning I woke up naked in my hotel room. I had felt like throwing up, so I grabbed the wastebasket.

 _It was empty._

Oh please don't tell me she's saying what I think she's saying.

The tiny girl before me looked up into my eyes. I could only stare back as she sat up straight and pulled her blouse up to reveal her slightly bulging stomach.

I fainted.

* * *

In retrospect, that's probably the least manly thing to do on the whole planet when confronted with something like unplanned pregnancy. But really, what else was I supposed to do?

Run out and pretend it never happened? Fuck no, any guy who does that needs to have his ass beat.

Get mad at the girl? Where's the point in that that when it was _completely unexpected?_

Be happy? Um, hello? I've only met this girl twice, I don't know jack about her. That means 'happy' isn't on the agenda yet.

So, as you can tell, I opted out for panicking instead. Not the best of options, but my brain kind of shut down in that moment and my body followed suit.

When I came to I was lying on the floor. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. I was still in Kori and Richards' apartment in Jump City (which is where my friends lured me 'hang out for the day'). They had an apartment because they hadn't found a house either of them liked. The hardwood floor wasn't particularly comfortable, but it was nice and cool. I lay there for a time, thinking about everything I had just heard. It was absurd on so many levels. So very many levels.

A part of me was screaming, demanding that I get a paternity test ASAP. That's not an unreasonable thought, right?

Another part of me was sitting in the corner of my mind in shock. After all, who would believe that a pretty girl would be carrying my kid? I'm the guy who can't even get a girl's _name_ half the time.

And yet another part of me was already making plans. That's…interesting.

A voice pulled me out of Lalaland. "Garfield?"

I blinked several times, bringing my focus to the loli gir-I mean, the violet eyes now lingering above my own. Rachel was looking down at me apprehensively.

"Are…are you okay?" She asked softly.

I gave her a little smile. "Yeah. I just panicked, I'm sorry."

She frowned. "You mean you're not mad at me?"

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. "I'm more mad at myself for not remembering than anything."

She openly gaped at me. "Really? You're not mad?"

My eyebrow rose in slight confusion. Is she serious? "Yes really. What makes you think I would be mad at you?"

She pulled back as I sat up. The violet-eyed girl was kneeling down next to me now and had her eyes planted on the floor. It occurred to me at this moment that she was a very submissive person. It felt…wrong, though I couldn't put my finger on as to why it felt that way.

"What makes you think I would be mad at you?" I repeated when she didn't answer.

"I messed up…badly."

"Rachel, I'm just as responsible for this as…" I trailed off at this moment. I had been reaching out of put my hand on her shoulder when she did something I wasn't expecting. She cringed. But it wasn't any sort of cringe either. It was one of true fear, like she had been expecting me to lash out at her.

My mind sputtered to a stop at that moment as I replayed that last thought in my head. _As if she had been expecting me to lash out at her._ Several pieces clicked together.

Something had happened to this girl. Something that left her…damaged.

I know this feeling, so instead of putting my hand on her shoulder I wrap my arms around her, pull her close and embrace her. She most certainly wasn't expecting that, seeing as she literally squeaked in surprise. It was an adorable sound.

"W-w-w-what are you doing?!" She sputtered into the crook of my neck.

"Rachel." I said quietly. " _Don't_ bow your head to me. Look me in the eye instead. It's okay, Rachel, really. Everything will be okay, somehow. I'm sorry that I got you pregnant, but if you don't want to raise it alone you don't have to. I'll be there."

She tensed up for a moment before she started trembling. Trembling turned into sobbing. Sobbing turned into crying. Crying turned into weeping.

Twice in one conversation I've upset this girl. Man, I _suck_ at talking to girls.

I didn't know what to do at this point, so I just did what felt right. I started with rubbing the small of her back and working my way up her spine. I pulled her head to lean against my chin and kissed it gently as well. I know, I know. That's probably what I _shouldn't_ have done (we've only met twice after all), but I'm the kind of guy who follows his instincts more than anything. And that's what my instincts told me to do.

Though my eyes were half closed, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head slightly, I found the others standing behind the couch and staring at us in disbelief. I freed a hand for a moment to gesture to them to be silent. They nodded and I returned to comforting the pregnant girl in my arms.

As I did so, I let my mind wander. This girl was pregnant with _my kid_. This girl that I knew nothing about. I don't know where she lives, I don't know what she does for a living, I don't know her habits, I don't know her life story, I don't know what kind of skeletons are in her closet.

These are things that I need to know if I'm going to be raising a child with her.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there lost in thought, but the sound of heavy breathing drew me from it. I looked down at Rachel and found her passed out in my arms. She had literally cried herself into exhaustion. I wasn't entirely surprised, she was a loli.

I mean, she's a tiny thing. Not a loli.

I'm not a lolicon.

…

ANYWAYS…

I gently picked her up and set her on the couch. She instantly curled up around a pillow and hugged it. Noting how lonely she looked like that, I set my eyes on Richard and spoke quietly.

"Start talking, Dick. I need to know about this girl, especially why she's so damned _timid_."

My friend nodded and motioned towards the kitchen. Once there, he sat down at the table. The others and I joined him. It took him a few minutes before he started speaking. When he did, his tone was very remorseful.

"Look, Gar, Vic, Kori…This is not a story I'm going to repeat. I've never told anyone anything about Rachel before now and I wouldn't be doing it if this wasn't going on. It's not my place. That being said…I'm going to trust you more than I ever have before." He sighs. "Rachel…grew up in a household with a very abusive father and an extremely neglectful mother. Her father was a demonic cultist and gang leader while her mother was a lawyer of some sort that always got her father's gang members out of jail and prison. Most nights, if she wasn't beaten, she was locked in the basement with little to nothing to eat. Both of her parents made it quite clear that she was an accident and as such, wasn't worth taking care of. If you can't tell, it seriously messed up her mind and physically stunted her growth. When she was at school, which she missed a good bit of due to her regular beatings from her father, she was constantly harassed for being so small. It was a _ridiculous_ thing to be bullied for, but you know how kids are; always targeting those who are different. On top of that, she was attacked a few times because her parents. It wasn't quite public knowledge about who they were and what they did, it was more like a secret to everybody. One that didn't stop kids from targeting her even if they were scared of her parents. As such, she was bullied at school almost as much as she was tormented at home."

I'm already feeling numb from shock. This is preposterous.

The black haired, blue eyed guy in front of me paused to run his hand through his hair. "I was only aware of the bullying at school, though no matter what I did I couldn't stop it. It wasn't until Rachel's sixteenth birthday that I, and everyone else, came to find out about the stuff at her home."

I couldn't stop myself from interrupting. "What happened?"

Richard's face turned dark. "I was the only person who even reacted to it being her birthday. I brought her a little cake and got her a book, The Wizard of Oz. Her parents, on the other hand…well…her _father_ came home that night strung out on a drug called Scath, a bizarre mixture of a hallucinogen and a steroid that turned him downright psychotic. He…stabbed Rachel's mother to death, then turned his blade on Rachel. He cut her up, Garfield. She will only wear pants and long sleeve shirts because she doesn't want people to see the scars on her arms and legs."

 _ **Rage.**_

It's the only way to describe how I feel right now. Absolute _**rage**_. How could someone do that to another? How could someone do that to _their own daughter_?

I hear a cracking noise and look down to find my hands gripping the table so tight that the cheap wood had started to break. Richard and the others noted this but said nothing.

"So what happened after that?" I growl.

"She got the knife from him and killed him."

I can feel my anger fading as disbelief kicks in. That wasn't quite the answer I was expecting. Richard can see this, so he keeps talking.

"Yeah…I know dude." He shook his head. "She killed him in self-defense. He dropped the damned knife, she took it, and stabbed that fucker right in the heart. She spent five hours getting stitched up and having blood pumped into her because of all the wounds. I thought the worst was over for her, that the other kids would know she hadn't deserved anything they'd done to her. But you know how kids are, Gar. They only saw her as someone who killed her parents because she was _just like them_. They didn't see the abuse she suffered from at home. They didn't see how much they tormented her. All they saw was a messed up girl that didn't need to be around them. With that being said, they drove her out of the school. She ran away. I found her, of course, and talked my guardian, Bruce, into getting her into foster care. I thought things were looking up for her for a while…"

As he trailed off, I leaned forward. My anger was coming back and Richard could tell. He hurried up with his story.

"They weren't particularly affectionate people, but they did give her her space and provide her with a home. However…while she was living with these people and getting home schooled, she met a boy at the library one day. I don't need to emphasize on how she fell head over heels for a guy who treated her nicely and didn't judge her for the things that had happened. He was kind to her, told her she was beautiful, even with her scars, and talked to her about books. It was all a complete and total _lie_ on his part though. He strung her along enough to get her trust, then brought her to an abandoned warehouse under the pretense of meeting with his friends to go skateboarding. Once there, a group of kids from her old school showed up and _beat her_ , calling her a blood thirsty demon and a murderer. She was left to die there."

 _Jesus fucking Christ_. I always thought growing up with Galtry was bad, but this was fucking _ridiculous_.

Richard was quite pointedly keeping his eyes from mine at this point. "We were beyond lucky when a random hobo found her and hunted down some cops. She barely made it to the hospitable alive and barely survived her injuries. Her foster parents didn't respond in any way about the attack, so Bruce took her from them legally. She lived in my house after that and was home schooled by our butler Alfred. But when she turned eighteen she moved out into a tiny apartment. She said she couldn't mooch off me any longer. She got a job and has been there ever since. That was almost five years ago. She's twenty three now."

I cover my face with my hands and inhale deeply. "You're telling me this meek and cute girl has _literally been through hell_ and now she has to deal with being pregnant from some guy she met once at a wedding?"

Tentatively, Richard nodded. "Pretty much, yeah."

I can't help but slam my head into the table, startling the others. I sit there and curse and curse and curse and curse until I'm just making up words. It was Kori who jostled me from my thoughts.

"Garfield…" She said gently, "I know this whole situation is quite unpleasant…but what are you going to do with her?"

My head snapped up instantly and I could feel the fire in my own eyes. "I'm going to take care of her! I'm not going to ditch her just because of this!"

Richard's eyes widen. "Are you serious bro? You barely know her! At most I was expecting financial help…"

"You're a damned fool then, Dick." I snapped at him as I slam my fist into the table. The salt shaker bounced so hard it jumped clean off the table and shattered on the floor.

Victor smiled humorlessly. "He's got ya there, Richard. Gar's always been a fireball when it comes to people he cares about."

"But he doesn't know her well enough to care!" Richard protested.

"That's where you're wrong, dude." I growled once more. "I've got all the time in the world now to get to know her and to care for her."

Victor and Kori are eyeing me warily. They know very well just what happens when I lose my temper. Granted, it only happened once, but it still sent five guys to the ER.

The thing is, I can't help it. I'm the kind of guy who treasures a girl that he's got. I want to take care of her, I want to see her smile, I want her to be happy, even if it takes more out of me. I don't mind taking the back burner if it means my girl is content. I _thrive_ off of that loving feeling I get from my girl as I do these things. There's no sensation on this planet that's as addicting as the feeling of being loved.

Of course, I only had one period of time in my life where I had these things. But while it lasted, it was the most wonderful thing on the planet. I know that my feelings about these kinds of things haven't changed in seven years.

"Hearing about these things that happened to Rachel makes me angry, Richard. _Very_ angry. _Nobody_ deserves to go through that kind of thing." I told my friends. I kept talking before he could say anything. "But right here, right now, I've got the opportunity to make her life better. I've got an opportunity to do something with my life other than sit around and play freaking video games all day. Am I scared? Damn right I am. I only know what Richard has told me, so I have to learn more about this girl. And _that_ ain't gonna be easy since she's got every right in the world to distrust guys. Am I gonna back out? Not a chance in Hell. While my life wasn't peachy until some years ago, it damn sure wasn't as bad as hers. Even as bad as it was, it in and of itself doesn't scare me. Am I gonna do my damnedest to make this girl is happy and raise this kid?"

I pause long enough to let a grin spread across my face. "You bet yer ass I am."

Richard stared at me for a long, long moment before he slowly shook his head. "You've got to be the weirdest guy I know, Garfield, to go above and beyond for a girl you don't know."

I wink at him. "You ain't never had a friend like me, Dick."


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'm honestly enjoying this goofy little side project a bit too much lol -Foamy**_

* * *

"Garfield? What are you doing here?"

I can't help but grinning at Rachel's startled expression. "Surprise?"

She has every reason to be surprised since I gave her _no_ form of notification whatsoever that I was visiting. As to how I got her address, I made Richard give it to me. That was a week ago, since I had to wait for my days off to come over here to Gotham (where she lived, some hours away from Jump City) and visit.

And yes, that meant that she had rode a bus for several hours each time she stalked/notstalked me in Jump City. That took a good bit of dedication towards trying to contact me, which was not lost upon my thick skull. I, only the other hand, simply drove my Jeep Wrangler over here for the day.

And as for _where_ she lived….wow.

It was, to be blunt, a ghetto.

A five story building that was tagged with graffiti from top to bottom, it was quite obviously falling apart in some places. She lived on the third floor and I shit you not, it was the nicest door in the hallway. Most of the rest of them had badly patched bullet holes, duct tape, crayon marks, and even spray paint on them. There were stains in the hallway that I was absolutely certain was blood and I'm pretty damn sure I smelt weed more than once. Let's not forget the gangbangers I passed on my way up the stairs. They were all shapes and sizes and ethnicities and every one of them glared at me as I passed. I _prayed_ the entire climb that none of them would think to rob the harmless looking nerdy guy wearing an Avengers tshirt and khaki shorts, because then my day would be fucked beyond belief. It was bad enough that I had to leave my Jeep down in the sketchy parking lot, but to get robbed….I don't even wanna think about it. The neighborhood was about as pleasant as this building, seeing as I'm certain I passed a murder-in-progress when I first entered and I'm pretty sure there was a crackhead selling his dope to some kids outside the building. Fuckin' peachy. She can't be willing to raise a kid here, right?

She closed the cracked open door and I must have heard fifteen locks being undone before she opened it shyly. As she came into view, I saw that she was wearing pajama bottoms and a light blue long sleeve shirt. Her hair was mussed, like she'd been lounging all day. I knew it was her day off and it looks like I caught her completely off guard. Man, she's so cute…

Wait a minute.

Those were green _Garfield_ pajamas. As in, Garfield the cartoon cat.

Interesting…

I unabashedly swept my eyes up from her pjs to her belly bulge, which she shyly tried to hide behind her hands. I'm trying really hard to not grin, 'cause this dandere loli girl in front of me is adorably shy.

Ah hell, I called her a loli again.

I'm not a lolicon, I swear.

"What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?" She asked, a slightly fearful look plastered across her face.

"I told you I wasn't abandoning you, Rae." I smiled sweetly at her. She visibly flinched at the nickname I gave her, though I honestly can't tell if she likes it or not. "And I asked Richard for your address."

"It's Rachel, not Rae." She murmured softly as she gestured for me to enter.

Grinning, I ushered her inside just so _I_ could shut and lock the door behind us. She eyed me but said nothing. As I turned around, I got a nice glimpse of her butt as she walked further down the hall. It was small and a bit round. It made me think of the phrase _ghetto booty_ , but it was more likened to her petite frame.

Loli booty?

Oops, I did it again.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I followed the small girl down the hall into her living room. Once there, I found a small dark blue and worn out love seat and eight cheap bookcases that were absolutely _packed_. The carpet was tan and the walls were white and undecorated. Kinda boring…

Rachel followed my gaze to them and gave a small, sheepish shrug. "I like books."

I crack a smile. "Should I start calling you Belle?"

She blushed deeply. "I-I didn't know you knew French."

My smile widens and I can't help myself. "I was talking about Belle from Beauty and the Beast, but the French word works just as well."

She turns away at this point, mumbling something I can't make out. My god, this shyness and these reactions to my flirting is nothing less than adorable. I'm enjoying this way too much.

And I'm beginning to think she likes it too.

"So…" She cleared her throat softly. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see you."

She froze before slowly turning back to look me in the eye. "Really?"

I'm smiling so wide that I feel like the Cheshire Cat. "Really really."

Even though she turns away and heads into the small kitchen, I catch a glimpse of her smile.

 _Wow_.

I mean that seriously. Like, wooooooow. She's ridiculously beautiful when she smiles. I want to see it again. I really really really wanna see it again. No, I _need_ to see it again. But how to do it? Hmmm….

"Would you like something to drink?" She calls out quietly.

I nod, even though she can't see it. Slapping my forehead, I answer her. "Yeah…whatcha got?"

"Herbal tea, green tea, and water."

I frown. I don't particularly like tea, but it's generally better than water. But I don't want to drink all of her tea, it's obviously her favorite since she has more than one type. "Water is fine."

She opens the refrigerator (the door appeared to be barely hanging onto the hinges) and pulled out a bottle. She shuts the door carefully and then tossed the bottle to me. It was nice and cool, so I gulped it down rather quickly.

As I do so, I glance around her kitchen. The cabinets are rather plain and in decent shape. Her stove is clean, but very old. She has no microwave, dishwasher, coffee pot, toaster, or blender. She has no table to eat at and not much for counter space.

Maybe it's because I have more stuff than her and a larger home, but I can't help but to find this place…oppressing. It feels too small, like I wouldn't have room to stretch if I tried.

Well, that's kind of a silly thought. I'm close to six foot tall, so I can hit quite a few ceilings if I stretch anyways.

But still…I don't like this place.

As I stand there and try to figure out what to say to Rachel, I noticed a cockroach scurry across the countertop. I frown at it for interrupting my thoughts. I lift my leg up behind me and start to remove my shoe when Rachel swoops in on the bug with a napkin and scoops it up. To my surprise, she walks over to the window, opens it, and tosses the bug outside. I can't help but to stare at her in amazement.

"What?" She asks after closing the window.

"You…you just let that roach go." I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda at a loss for words. Who saves a cockroach? I mean, animals are one thing, but a _cockroach?_

She gave me a small shrug and walked over to the stove. "Everything deserves to live, no matter how small or annoying it is. I won't take a life."

This girl…is something else entirely. The more and more I talk to her, the more I find myself amazed with her. She has every reason to be a dark and bitter person and she refuses to do so. I probably would have snapped, but here she is struggling to keep her head up in her own way. Even now, she's trying to reach a box of tea in the cabinet above the stove. She's stretching really hard and it's making her shirt ride up her backside.

I'm totally checking her ass out, by the way. It's _nice._ I wonder if it's soft and bouncy…

She finally gives up her attempts in frustration, casting her eyes about the room. "Do you see my stepping stool anywhere?"

I had in fact seen the little blue stool in front of a bookcase several minutes ago. But I can't pass up this opportunity, now can I?

She's startled when I come up right behind her and easily reach into the shelf. For some reason she backpedaled right into my chest. As my hand descends with the box, she lays her head back and looks up at me. I look down at her and smile cheekily.

"Who needs a stool when I'm around?"

I can't read the emotion in her eyes even though she smiles ruefully. "But you aren't around all the time."

My mouth kicked in before my brain did at this moment. "I could be."

Aw hell, I really just said that out loud didn't I?

Judging by the astounded look on her face, I damn sure just did.

She looks away and speaks quietly. "I would appreciate it if you didn't say things you don't mean."

Again my mouth fires off. "Who said I didn't mean it?"

Rachel shakes her head. "You can't possibly mean that. We hardly know each other."

"We have all the time in the world, Rae."

She shakes her head once more. "It's Rachel, not Rae."

"Raaaaaaeeeeeeeee." I call her teasingly. She looks a bit irritated, but reaches for her tea anyways. I hold it just up out of her grasp, which makes her stomp her tiny little foot and huff in annoyance.

My god, she's so cute.

"Garfield, stop teasing me." She frowned.

"I'm not teasing you, I'm flirting with you." I smile cheekily once more and stick my tongue out.

Her cheeks turn a tad crimson and she stares at me hard. I hold her gaze as long as I can before I hand her the box. I dunno why I did it, I was having fun, but seeing her annoyed with me was starting to bother me.

"Thank you." She said quietly as she pulled out a pack. She set it on the counter and bent down to retrieve an old metal kettle from another cabinet. I took her box of tea once more and placed it back on its shelf.

As she stands back up, I can't help but notice her bra-less cleavage. She was a nice B cup, though I've never understood the differences in something like B and BB or C and CC (I have a theory that it actually has to do with the softness to bounciness ratio). It was just gibberish to me. But man, her boobs look soooo soft and bouncy, like her bottom. Why can't I remember what they feel like? I'm _never_ drinking again.

She's back on her feet now and pouring water from the tap into the kettle. I lean against the counter as I lose myself in thought. It was obvious that she was very independent, but still needed help. She kept her home clean, even if building was falling apar-

 **BANG! BANG BANG BANG! BANG! CRASH! BANG BANG BANG!**

I couldn't help my reaction to the first gunshot. I snatched Rachel up and held her to my chest as I swirled away from the direction the shots came from. After the sound of breaking glass stopped, I lifted my head from where I had tried to shield it. Rachel was trembling beneath me, but she was staring at me wide eyed.

"Y-you j-just…"

I glance down at the girl in my arms. "Yeah, of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

She doesn't answer, so I release her and carefully stalk over to the window. Drawing back her blinds (which were surprisingly dust free), I find the window with barely intact glass that had _dozens_ of bullet holes in it (I need the name of the guy who made this glass, he's a BEAST), all but one duct taped over. I turn to Rachel, unable to keep my agitation from my face as the sounds of more gunfire sound in the street below.

"How often does this happen?!" I'm trying to keep my voice down, but it isn't really working.

She gives a little shrug as she goes back to making her tea. "Often."

My agitation gives way to confusion. "And you're okay with this?"

Rachel shook her head. "Not really…but I deal with it."

"'Deal with it'?" I shake my head. "That's crazy, Rae, how could-"

A crackling noise sounds above me and I barely manage to jump out of the way as a piece of ceiling drops down from where the bullet impacted. It's not big, only the side of a baseball. But it's covered in something that looks suspiciously like black mold. Outside, the last gunshots' echo's in the distance and all is quiet again. Whoever it was nuking it out down there obviously tried to high tail it and led it to another part of the neighborhood.

Rachel, who had glanced up at the sound of the ceiling piece falling, sighs. "Not again."

" _Again?!_ " I nearly screech. Every part of me is screaming to take her away from this right now and I'm about a hairsbreath away from following that line of thinking when something occurs to me.

When did I get possessive of her?

It's a calming thought. I'm not a possessive guy. I'm just overreacting to the inhospitable living conditions the mother of my child is currently residing in, right?

"Yeah, the whole building is full of black mold and since there's some sort of shootout two or three times a week, most of the building has holes in it. Every time something happens from a bullet going through a ceiling or, God forbid, a wall, I plaster it back up."

 _Oh_ _hell no._

I take a few breaths to calm myself even more before I tear my eyes away from the mold and towards her.

"Rachel." I said firmly. "I know this is over stepping my boundaries, but I'm not comfortable with you living here."

All sounds and movements in the kitchen die off as she slowly turns to look at me. Her expression is completely unreadable as she speaks. "I'm sorry?"

I sigh. "You heard me. I know, I don't have any right to say anything since we're not…together…but I don't like the idea of you living here. This is a horrid place for anyone to live, even with all these criminals you call neighbors. Even if you weren't pregnant, I still wouldn't want you living here."

"This is my home, Garfield." She says softly. The tea kettle behind her is going off, so she sets it to the side.

I nod. "I know, I know, I just-"

She cuts me off. "No, Garfield, you _don't_ know. Here, nobody bothers me. Here, nobody judges me. Here, no one even gives a damn who I am as long as I pay my rent. Here, all I have and need are my books."

"But Rachel, books aren't people, you can't just-"

Her eyes blazing in sudden fury, she stomps up to me and stares daggers into my eyes. " _Can't? Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?!"_

What the hell? Where did that come from?

Startled, I shake my head. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

The anger disappears instantly and she takes a step away from me. Staring at the floor ashamedly, she nods. "I know…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. It just that…books don't judge me. Books don't look down on me and ostracize me when they find out my name. Books don't treat me like shit. Books make me forget. They relax me. They keep me company on cold nights. They make me dream of faraway places where I'm not living in squalor with the roaches and mold. They're all I've had for years, Garfield. Richard has offered me a room at his home more than a few times, but I just can't bring myself to be some sort of leech like that."

I'm so at loss for words that I speak the first thing that comes to mind. "Look, I'm not a knight in shining armor that can rescue you from a bad life, Rachel. I have a few issues of my own and I've been through some rough shit too. But…I want to be here for you. I can't just ignore the fact that I got a girl pregnant. Every part of me is telling me to be here, to help you, to do whatever I need to do for you. I couldn't bring myself to leave you alone even if I wanted to. It's just not me."

"How chivalrous." She murmurs as she looks up at me once more. Seeing the amusement in her eyes, I can't stop myself from striking what I think is a heroic pose. I see her hand shoot up to cover her mouth and I know this is the opportunity I've been waiting for. If she likes chivalry, I'll give her chivalry!

I bound into the kitchen and open several drawers as I look for my gear. With a triumphant cry, I snatch up a colander and plop it on my head before grabbing a pot lid in one hand. My other hand opens a drawer and finds a ladle. I bang the ladle on the lid and turn back to Rachel, who's looking at me as if I've gone absolutely bonkers.

"Prithee, fair maiden, inform this poor squire of the means in which to please yon self!" I call out to her. "Be it vile dragon or deceptive cyclops, I shalst defend yee from thy foes if thy wish!"

She was quiet for a time before she snorted again. But this time, the snort turned into a chuckle. The chuckle turned into giggles. Giggles turned into laughter.

And by all the gods in the world, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

"Prithee, fair maiden, doth thou require the aid of the priest?" I salute her, the ladle bouncing off the colander on my head with a _thwang_. "I shalst fetch one if thy requires it, milady."

She's leaning against the counter now, holding her sides as she laughs even harder. I'm beginning to wonder if it what I said or how I'm acting that's making her laugh. I decide to step it up a little more.

"I doth suppose I could fetch Sir Victor, he doesth have a paper verification of medical training, doth he not? Wot wot and toodle pip!"

I wasn't expecting her to topple forward as she slid off the counter laughing, but my reflexes are good enough to drop the kitchen ware and catch her in time. It falls to the floor loudly as she falls perfectly into my arms. She's laughing into my chest now and my arms are wrapped around her. It takes her a good five minutes before she stops laughing and looks up at me with teary eyes.

"You know you just had Shakespeare rolling in his grave, right?"

I roll my eyes at the loli in my arms. "To laugh or not to laugh, eh?"

Wiping her eyes, she shakes her head. "You're just a dork in a tinfoil hat, aren't you?"

Okay, now _I'm_ smiling. "Of course! But I use the _good_ tinfoil, not that cheap stuff conspiracy theorists use to hide their brainwaves from the government."

Rachel set her forehead against my chest and sighs. I can tell it's a happy sigh and I _know_ she's grinning, but her next words are what really got my attention.

"I kind of like that."

When I managed to cram my heart back into my chest from where it had leapt into my throat, I could feel it hammering hard enough to burst out of my ribcage. I'm pretty sure Rachel could hear it, because she let out a little giggle.

We stood there, my arms wrapped around her for a little while. It was really nice, far better than anything I've ever experienced.

"So…" She asked softly. "What did you have in mind?"

"Come live with me."

 _Shit_ , there goes my mouth again. Why can't I keep my mouth shut for five seconds so that my brain can keep me out of trouble? Rachel looks up at me, eyes wide.

"W-wait, I didn't mean it like that!" I stammer. "I meant that, well, I've got a lot of room at my house, literally, and I'd be a lot more comfortable knowing you were nearby so that I could…you know…be there if you want me to be. My house is a lot cleaner and the neighborhood is kinda nice, no neighbors very close either. You could still have all the space you want and if you want a job I won't try to stop you from getting one and uhhh…um…"

"You'd let a complete stranger into your home?" She asked skeptically.

I didn't hesitate to shake my head. "Nope. I'm letting _you_ into my home and life."

I hadn't meant to say the life part, but it slipped out. Rachel was still staring at me. "You know you're crazy, right?"

"I think I'll be fine if I have someo-err, something to be crazy about." I'm cursing inwardly at myself because my tongue is as loose as a plastic bag in the wind today. It's a damned wonder it hasn't gotten me in trouble. I can't really describe the look she gave me, but she did place her head back on my chest. It was a feeling I was beginning to hope I'd get to experience rather often. It was quite some time before she spoke again.

"Garfield…"

"Yeah?"

"…I don't have a reason to trust you…"

I frowned, but didn't release her from my arms. "I know."

"But…I'm going to trust you anyways. Because I _want_ to."

I look down at her. "Really?"

"Really really."

Damnit, I practically sprinted head first into that one. "Can I ask why?"

Rachel inhaled deeply and sighed into my chest. "Because…I hate my life. I can't tell you how many times I've considered ending it. It'd be so easy to slit my wrists and bleed out in the bathroom. It would be weeks before anyone noticed. It'd be so easy to throw myself off a tall building. I'm so small that there wouldn't be much to clean up. It would be so easy to buy some pills and overdose on them. I'd go out painlessly, an eternal sleep. I've thought about it so very many times…"

Jesus Christ, that's _morbid_.

"The thing is…I believe in karma and most especially the saying _good things come to those who wait_. I've been waiting for a long time for someone to not care who I _was_ , but to care for who I _am_. And…ever since I found out that I was pregnant, I was hoping, _praying_ , that you weren't going to cast me aside. I know we've only kind of known each other for a week…but…"

I squeeze her a bit tighter. "I know just what you mean."

I can feel her somewhat grin into my chest as she speaks softly once more. "That ridiculously comfortable feeling that also says that we can trust each other?"

I chuckle and nod. "Yep."

It was true. I _am_ unusually comfortable with her. Usually when I'm around a pretty girl (Kori doesn't count cause she's my sister), I'm jittery and clumsy the entire time and I just can't keep my mouth shut long enough to think of something to impress her. But with Rachel…I dunno…I just…I just feel like going with the flow is all I need to do. She _did_ just laugh at my dorkiness and she _is_ hugging me. I haven't gotten a hug from a girl (other than Kori) in years, so I must be doing something right.

By the way, her boobs are _soft_ and _squishy_ against my chest.

Just figured I'd throw that out there.

A small, happy sigh escaped her lips. "Thank the heavens. I was hoping it wasn't just me."

Before I realize what I'm doing, I've planted a kiss on the top of her head. She freezes in my arms before looking up at me.

I smirk. "Two weeks."

"Huh?"

"I'm coming back in two weeks. That'll give you time to put your resignation in at work and your moving out notice thingie."

She gulped but nodded. Smiling to myself, I pet the loli on the head.

Pet pet pet.

Er…wait….

* * *

 _One week later…_

"Garfield? Gaaaaarrrrrfield? Dude, are you listening? OI!"

I jerk out of my lovely stupor to find my best buddy Victor staring across the table at me. We were in McDonald's having lunch. He had three Big Macs and I had a salad and a milkshake.

I blink at my friend confusedly. "Sorry dude, I kinda spaced out. What's up?"

Victor frowns at me, an annoyed look on his face. "Seriously dude, you've been spacing out constantly the past few days. What's up with you?"

I smile at my friend. "I can't tell you just yet. We're waiting for Kori and Ri-"

"Friends Victor and Garfield! How are you this glorious day?" A familiar voice calls out. Leave it to Kori to be right on time like that. Grinning, I turn to find my redheaded friend practically skipping over to us, her husband in tow.

"Heya Kori, Richard! Glad you can make it, I got something I want to talk to everyone about." I call out to them as they approach. Now, I'm not normally the guy who is serious about things. I prefer making people laugh and making them feel good about themselves. So when I get serious…

Within a heartbeat of hearing what I said, Kori was there sitting next to me. She was staring at me intently with those big, light green eyes of hers. They met my own emerald orbs and she leaned in eagerly.

"What is it? Have you done the coupling with Rachel?" She grins hugely, her excitement plastered across her face.

I can't help but smile even more. "Something like that, yeah."

Kori lets out a squeal of joy that I'm sure every dog in five blocks heard as she wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes. Despite the fact that she's suffocating me, I can't bring myself to pull away from one of her patented Death Hugs of Woe. That girl is crazy strong.

"So what's up dude? How'd your visit to Rachel's place go? I haven't heard from either of you in a while, so I was starting to get a tad worried." Richard asks as he takes a seat next to Victor. Kori releases me and Victor sets his burger down, which I know means I've got his complete attention. I look each of them in the eye, one at a time, just for the emphasis on the next words I say.

"Next week, she's moving in with me."

Richard was the first to react.

"Are you fucking serious?" He chokes out. "How…what…how…are you a _god_?"

As Victor stares at me like I've grown another head and Kori squeals again with joy, I shake my head. "Nope."

"Then how did you do it?! I've been trying to get her to move out of the goddamned dump for years!"

I lean my head into my hand and stare at my astounded friend. "The thing is, Dick…Rae and I…well…we just clicked together real well. I was honest with her about not liking her living situation and that I'd like to be around her more and she responded rather well to it."

Richard slumped back into his seat, muttering to himself. "I should have introduced you to her when we met in college…"

I can't help but laugh at that. "That would have been awesome dude. Oh yeah, you didn't tell me that she likes books!"

Richard grinned helplessly. "Oh, she doesn't like to read. She _loves_ to read. I'm pretty sure she's read everything in the Gotham public library and then some."

I stroke my chin with my free hand for a moment as I think. "Say, Richard…do you think she'd like a mini library?"

The blue eyed guy stares at me for a moment before his grin widens. "I think she'd fall in love with you if you gave her a library."

My eyes, wide as dinner plates, snap towards my friend. "Seriously?!"

He laughs at me. "Who knows, dude? Me, Bruce, and Alfred are the only ones who've ever given her books. So if the guy tryin' to romance her gives her a library…"

"Maaaan, that is some serious Beauty and the Beast shit, bro." Victor laughs. Kori begins to laugh too, then they all start talking about something that I'm not paying attention to.

Instead, I'm thinking. Rachel loves books. She's got eight bookcases crammed tight with them. She needs more bookcases. But that's not all. Thanks to some secret pictures (a fuckton of pics, truthfully) I snapped while she was in the bathroom, I know the name of every book she has on those shelves. I had originally taken the pictures so that I could see if there was anything I could read and talk to her about, but this was a waaaay better reason for pics. It looked like there were a lot of pieces of book series in there, like Harry Potter one, two, and three, but not the rest. I also saw Dean Koontz Frankenstien books one and three but not two. She was missing books. So…if I get those books and fill her collections…that should make her happy, right? Will that make her smile?

Man, I really want to see that smile again.

I pull out my phone and hop online with it. A few clicks later and I can see my account balance. A few grand, that's good. Now I check my other account. Looks like it's gone up another five percent from the last time I checked it over six months ago. I've never touched the money my parents left me, but now seems like the perfect time. I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't mind me filling a library for a pretty girl that's also carrying their grandchild. Well, I need to make a nursery too. I've got the room for both, so why not?

I close out my programs and set my phone down resolutely. The thump draws everyone's immediate attention and they stare at me as their conversation dies off.

"So guys…" I grin at them. "Do you wanna build a library?"


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello hello my dear readers, Foamy is back!_**

 ** _Now, before we get this party started, I want to go ahead and tell you that this chapter is fairly shorter than the others, around 2k words less. I was gonna make it longer, but honestly couldn't come up with anything that really fit in with it. To me, it feels more like an interlude chapter, an in-between moment, so to speak. Chapters should be back to normal next chapter._**

 ** _Now for reviews!_**

 ** _LostDemonessRaven- I love how everyone keeps referring it to Beauty and the Beast, it makes me feel good. Unfortunately, Raven doesn't get to see the library this chapter, but it WILL be in the next one._**

 ** _Allen Blaster- 'How much I know my library'? Don't challenge me, dude. I have over 300 books in my library and triple that on my to get list. If you seriously want me to list all the series I have and want, I WILL do it._**

 ** _Mochafraptor- thankee sai_**

 ** _MisterHalt- Thankee Thankee! :D_**

 ** _Mageduck3- Hot Daaawg, I feel honored now. Though this one probably won't warrant a review, its so short lol._**

 ** _Detrametal- The good news is, only one piece of Raven's past will actually become part of the story (in a direct sense). Garfield deals with it accordingly. As for Gar's jokes...well, I incorporate a decent chunk of my own personality into writing his character. That's why the things he says and does feel realistic. :P_**

 ** _IHaveAFanficProblem- Thank you my friend. I hope you enjoy this chapter too._**

 ** _Regalman17- Idk about masterpiece, but thank you! :D_**

 ** _TheWolfDragonHowl- thank you, I hope you like this one too!_**

 ** _EmmyBubbles95- I'm afraid this will all be written from Garfield's point of view. I'm a dude, so I can't quite write from her perspective, now can I? lol_**

 ** _\- I like to think its different than others, so thank you! :D_**

 ** _neverdie- thankee, I intend to keep it going!_**

 ** _And with that, here's the next chapter! Read and review please, hearing from my readers fuels my writing (literally lol)!_**

* * *

When I showed up at Rachel's doorstep a week later with Victor, Kori, and Richard in tow along with my friends Roy, Garth, Miguel, Wally, Karen, Artemis, and Toni, the poor girl was completely unprepared for so many visitors and had another panic attack.

I've been thinking about it a lot and I've come to the conclusion that Rae isn't bad with _people_. She's bad with being around _strangers_ and getting a lot of _attention_. I mean, seriously, she's well within her rights to not trust people and damn sure not trust random people who are paying attention to her. With that being said, _I'm_ the one that had a paper bag for her this time. I set her on the kitchen counter (she's so light it's ridiculous), facing me, while the others packed up all her books and loaded them into a moving truck. Even with eleven people working on it, it still took a couple of hours to load all her stuff up. We got more than a few glances from the other tenants and quite a few looks from gangbangers, but Vic, Richard, Roy, Garth, Wally, and Miguel are all in pretty damn good shape. It was quite obvious that picking a fight with us would have been a bad idea, not that Karen, Artemis, Kori, or Toni needed defending. Each girl was pretty badass in her own way.

I'd like to note that this loli's butt was indeed _soft_ and _bouncy_.

I mean girl, not loli.

When we didn't load up her bookcases, love seat, and bed she got really confused. "Why aren't we taking this stuff too?"

I smirked at her. "I hope you don't mind, but you don't need those where we're going."

She eyed me warily but nodded.

As we loaded up the last of her stuff, I noticed that there were only two boxes of clothes compared to the gazillion boxes of books. I'd say it was disturbing, but I'd be lying. I was the same way with comics. I've got thousands of the things in a storage unit back home.

At this moment, I'm pulling down the door to the Uhaul truck I rented for today. I can still feel the stares of the other inhabitants as I turn around. Off to the side I can see Richard talking to one gang member that's a lot older than the rest. He's got a pretty big beard, a ton of chains, and A LOT of tattoos. He looks like he's been 'thuggin' for a long time, but his eyes don't really look like someone who's killed people or done drugs. He looks…I dunno…tired? I wonder why.

Hm…that's odd. Richard just handed him something. I wonder what?

"So…I guess this is it for this place." A small voice beside me says. I turn to my loli-I mean I turn to Rachel and look at her. She's staring at the building oddly. It's almost like she's sorry to go, but at the same time she knows she has to.

I honestly don't think she's attached to the place, but more of the isolation it provided her. I say isolation because, _apparently_ , none of the gang members every bothered her. Like, _ever_. That sounded real weird to me, but Rachel swears up and down that it's true.

"I guess so Rae." I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her closer. She smiles softly and shakes her head.

"I wish I had friends here to goodbye to."

"Did you have any at work?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Just one." She said, a genuine smile lighting up her features. "Her name is Sarah and she loves reading sci-fi books. She's a real techie kind of girl, too, real good with the internet and robotics and computers and stuff."

"Sounds like that girl is right up Vic's alley." I chuckle.

Rachel glances at me, her eyebrow quirked mischievously. "Well, she _is_ single."

"Whatsay we invite her over one day and see if she hits it off with Vic?"

"Sounds good to me. She's a nice girl."

Rachel walks to the front of the truck, still smiling, and gets in. I'm grinning too as I step over to my friends and give them gas money. They protest, of course, but I tell them to shaddup and take my money.

And yes, I did it like that on purpose.

They pile in their cars and I jump in the truck. Within a couple of minutes we're headed out of the ghetto. I can't really stop myself from singing this little parody that I made up the last time I was here.

 _Welcome to the ghetto, we got drugs and gangs_

 _We got what ya' want, with money, without dropping any names_

 _We ain't the kinda people anyone wants or needs_

 _But if you got the money honey, then we'll be on you like disease_

 _In the ghetto, welcome to the ghetto!_

I glance over at Rachel to see if she thinks it's funny. Unfortunately, I find her looking at the side mirror with the apartment fading into the distance.

"I'm kinda scared, Gar." She said suddenly, quietly. "I'm headed for a place I don't know with a guy I barely know with a baby growing inside me. My life has never been simple, or worth a damn, but here I am, about to change it drastically once more."

The lyrics to the rest of my funny song fly from my mind. I'm thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "Sometimes…sometimes change is good. Sometimes it's bad. It really depends on who's involved and what's changing. Don't forget, everything is changing for me too. I've got a girl that I barely know coming to live with me because I got her pregnant in a drunken one night stand. I've never done something so reckless in my life but I'm manning up to it. I've got to change my lifestyle and habits because I won't be living alone anymore. It's not gonna be an easy thing to do."

Out of the corner of my eye I see her head snap towards me as she speaks. "What? No, don't change who you are just for me. I-"

"Rachel." I interrupt. "The life of a bachelor gamer isn't quite fit for having another person involved that isn't into the same lifestyle. To be honest, my diet is terrible. I drink more Mountain Dew than anything and I probably eat way too many snacks and not enough actual meals. I can cook, but since it's always been just me I'm just too lazy to do it. I eat out a ton even though I'm seriously burned out on fast food. So…yes, that means I'm not particularly keen on washing dishes or cleaning the house. I just…I don't really know how to describe it. Every day is kind of just a blur for me because I haven't had anything going on in my life. I wake up, go to work, eat, and play video games. That pretty much defines my life. Hell, sometimes on off days I don't even get out of bed."

We're at a stoplight now, so I reach up and brush some hair out of my eyes. Rachel's giving me a funny look and I can't help but to shrug. "Yeah, I know, not exactly a healthy life. But…I honestly just haven't given a damn for a _long_ time. That's one of the reasons why I'm really for all this happening. I _need_ this change or I'm just going to waste away."

She's quite for a long moment, in which the light changes and we continue on our way. It isn't until we're at the interstate that she speaks up. "You know, Gar…you sound just like me."

I ponder this for a few minutes. "Ya know...you're kind of right. But there's one major difference between us."

"What's that?"

I smile cheekily. "You're an adorable loli and I'm just an average Joe."

As the words left my mouth it occurs to me what I just said. _HOLY SHIT DID I JUST-_

"That's the second time you've called me that and I still don't know what it means."

I'm quite desperately looking for some kind of distraction. I really don't want to have this conversation. "Well…you see…hey, look at that bird!"

"Don't change the subject, Garfield."

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. She's gonna kill me.

Tell her the truth or tell her a lie? Fuuuuuuuck. If I tell her the truth she's going to think I'm some kind of sicko, but if I tell her a lie and she finds out that could screw up what we have going.

Fuck.

"A…loli…," I mumble, unable to even glance at her. "Well…the easiest way to explain it is that a loli is a girl that looks younger than she is."

I can _feel_ the weirded-out look she's giving me as she speak. "So…you're into younger girls?"

I shake my head vehemently. "No! I'm into _you_ but _you_ look younger than you are so the term automatically pops in my head."

"And where does this term come from?" She asks.

"I think it originated from Japan. I got it from watching anime."

"Which is…?"

"Uh..." Damnit, brain fart. "It's…Japanese cartoons?"

Another weird look. "You still watch cartoons?"

Now it's _my_ turn to look at _her_ weirdly. "Why wouldn't I watch cartoons?"

She turns her head out to the road and silence reigns in the truck for a time. When it finally breaks, it's Rachel once again.

"You're really weird, you know that?"

Normally, I'd be marginally offended by that. But since its Rachel, I actually find that kind of funny. "Heh, if you think I'm weird, I need to legit intro you to my buds."

I hear something click in cab but don't see anything moving around, so I start talking. "Well, okay. Let's start with Vic. Big into tech and cars, but he's gonna go be a doctor. He's scared of dogs and calls his car his 'Baby' because he built it from scratch. Not gonna lie, I wouldn't put it past him to hump his car every now and then. That ginger guy, Roy, is _really_ into archery, like obsessively so. He's been to a couple of national contests and won some good money off of them. He's also really arrogant and probably uses more hair gel than Richard does. The thing about him is that, even though he's got a kid with an ex of his, I think he's batting for the other team but hiding it. Now, for Garth, that tall guy with the dark hair and eyes, he's bisexual and fairly open about it. He's a real athletic guy too, but he does competitive _swimming_. Yeah, that's just as silly as it sounds. Other than his hair, he shaves ever other follicle on his body, including his ass. Please don't ask me why I know that. The funny thing is that he _hates_ eating fish or shellfish of any kind and will actually throw a fit if someone offers him any. Miguel really is gay. He's a good guy, but has a nasty habit of smacking me on the ass when I'm not looking. I'd say he's the most normal guy I know, but that dude has a serious obsession with Ryan Reynolds. Like, it's borderline creepy how many posters he has of that guy. Do not _ever_ bring up Johnny Depp while he's around unless you want to hear some _seriously crazy shit_. That dude is so much of a fanboy that he's got three restraining orders against him, one from Brad Pitt, one from George Clooney, and one from Ben Affleck."

I can't really describe the look Rachel is giving me other than _fucking hilarious_ , so I keep talking.

"Wally, the redheaded dude, is an avid runner. He's also into choreography, musicals, and ballet. He's dating- don't look at me like that, you heard me right- Artemis, that leggy blonde chick. Karen, the black girl, is an old friend and ex of Vic's. They dated for about a year before splitting up 'cause they're both too headstrong. She's pretty cool, but pretty serious too. Karen has this weird thing about honey, though. She loves it so much that she carries a jar around with her. Even weirder, she has this strange thing about bees. She loves them, but she's violently allergic to them. Her BMW is painted to look like a bee too. She's got bee beanie babies and a bee tattoo on her shoulder. Now, Artemis is kind of a strange girl. I've only known her for a few months, when Wally intro'd me to her, but I noticed something right away. When she's speaking, one of her eyes tends to drift towards her nose. I know that's not weird or something to laugh at, but that's not all of it. This girl has Tourette's. You know, that thing that makes people yell randomly for no reason? Yeah, so when she yells her eye jerks towards her nose and, for some godawful reason, it _bounces back the other way_. She always yells the funniest shit too, like 'I love pineapples' while we're in the mall or something. I know it's bad to laugh…but I can't help it. Let's see…who was left from this group? Oh yeah, Toni. Toni is from New Zealand, so that's why she's got an accent. Toni…well, Toni is a nudist. She only wears clothes in public because she doesn't want to get arrested. I, and a bunch of others, figured this out when we visited her at home one day. She was buck naked, just chillin' on the couch, when we got there. Needless to say, nobody stuck around for long. It was just too weird cause she's one of those goth girls that's got a lot of weird tattoo's in weird places and just…nah, couldn't handle it."

"Do you know _anyone_ that's normal?" Rachel asked, her voice sounded awfully close now.

I jerk my head to look at her and find that she's now sitting right next to me. That's weird, wasn't she sitting next to the door a minute ago? Hm…I could be wrong.

I shake my head. "Not really. Not even Richard and Kori are normal. Kori loves mustard on just about everything she eats, and I mean _everything_. She also has that speech impediment. I know you've known Richard longer than me, so you _gotta_ know that he's some sort of masochist. He's always getting hurt with all the exercising he does, not to mention the parkour. Top it off with the training from the police academy he's going to and it just screams ' _I like pain!'_."

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that." Rachel chuckled. "What about you? What makes you so weird? Well, other than liking younger girls."

" _I do not like younger girls!_ " I say as I grit my teeth in annoyance. I shoot her a quick glare and find her smirking at me.

Oh, she's just messing with me. Damnit, she's good.

Huffing, I shake my head. "Other than being a serious nerd, I'm a vegetarian."

She looks surprised. "You don't eat meat?"

"Yup." I nodded.

"Why not?"

"I…" I hesitated. Should I tell her? I really don't want to remember it, let alone talk about it. I think that's what I'll say. I hope she doesn't ask more questions. "I'm sorry Rae, but I'd rather not talk about it."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her frown slightly. "But…I know Richard told you all about me. Why can't I know about you?"

I shake my head. "It's not that you _can't_ know, Rachel, it's that I don't want to talk about it while I'm driving. It's not a pleasant topic."

"Oh…I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to pry."

Once more I shake my head. "No, it's fine, really. I need to tell you about it at some point or another regardless of how sensitive the topic is. It'd be wrong not to and then just freak out one day over meat."

"Alright." She says quietly. I glance at her and I can see one more question in her eyes.

"No, you don't have to be a vegetarian if you don't want to. I won't force that on you or even ask you to do that for my sake." I shoot her a smile as she looks at me incredulously.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" She asked.

"Dunno." I shrug. "Just a feeling."

To my surprise, she blew a raspberry at me. I had no comeback to that randomness and she knew it. Smirking, she leaned her head against my arm. Even though she dozed for the rest of the trip, I smiled like a kid in a candy shop.


End file.
